Qin Feng had heard of the Underground Palace of the Six Tripods Ancient Temple in his previous life, but he had never been there. A million years had passed, and the world had changed beyond recognition; the place had long ago turned to ash in the river of time. He could only follow the descriptions from the rumors, searching the outer areas for any clues.
He remembered the rumors saying the Six Tripods Ancient Temple was located deep within an ancient forest on the outskirts of the Barbaric Mountain Range. This forest was very strange; it abounded with old pagoda trees.
Old pagoda trees were natural gatherers of Yin Qi. A forest full of them was bound to be an extremely yin and cold place, where poisonous creatures thrived and even abominations could be born. He had a century-old pagoda tree in his own courtyard, and the incredibly sinister Three Yin One Qi Formation was established using that very tree as its Array Hub to gather Yin Qi.
These trees were seen as inauspicious by many people and were usually cut down on sight. For them to grow into a grove, let alone a forest, was an extremely rare occurrence.
This was a very obvious clue!
After searching the mountain forest for a full day and night, Qin Feng finally found it: a strange and gloomy pagoda tree forest that resembled the one from the legends.
The ancient pagoda trees were exceptionally tall and thick, with canopies so dense they blotted out the sky, preventing even heavenly Yang Qi from filtering down. The forest was gloomy and shrouded in mist. Many of the old trees were twisted, their thick trunks coiled like giant serpents. When the wind blew, it produced a low, mournful whistle that was eerie and terrifying in the silent woods.
Looking up, the hollows in the withered trunks resembled the faces of Fierce Ghosts—dark and gaping, as if ready to devour any living creature that passed by. A chill rose from the depths of his heart.
'The Yin Qi is dense. This is no benevolent land!' In the woods, Qin Feng spotted several white Skeletons. About a hundred paces away from them lay a few rusted weapons. The place had an extremely ominous air. His expression grew solemn, yet he still strode deeper inside.
His Stepping Technique was nimble and elegant, yet it paradoxically conveyed a sense of immense power, as if force emanated from his very pores. Like a predatory shadow, he tore through the thin mist and charged straight inside.
He seemed like an incarnation of power itself. Qin Feng had integrated the Spirit Refining Stake into his Stepping Technique, and with every step, one could almost hear his bones creaking and grinding. It was as if he were vibrating his bones with every passing moment, training his physical body.
He was improving with every passing moment! As he extended his long arms, an innate power unfurled.
He had now completely mastered the Power of Square Inches of the Martial Arts First Realm. With a single finger, he could easily pierce through a three-foot-thick stone wall.
The Tiger-Fighting Power of the Martial Arts Second Realm was also beginning to manifest. What was Tiger-Fighting Power? It was the ability to easily kill fierce tigers and hungry wolves using nothing but pure physical strength.
If he broke through to the Martial Arts Third Realm, he would possess the terrifying Elephant-Throwing Power, capable of lifting a Profound Yellow Giant Elephant with one shoulder. That was the symbol of one's muscles, bones, and skin being tempered to the absolute limit.
As he moved through the mountain forest, his aura fluctuated. Occasionally, soul-stirring sonic booms erupted from around his body, making him seem like some rampaging beast.
The qi circulating around his body was potent and sharp, radiating a powerfully destructive nature.
Even a fierce tiger would flee in disarray upon seeing him!
AWOOO! Suddenly, a wolf's howl echoed from deep within the forest! The rapidly moving figure, swift as the wind, froze in an instant. After a moment's hesitation, he shot forward like a bolt of lightning.
A moment later, a pack of gray mountain wolves appeared in Qin Feng's sight, some lying down, others sitting up. AWOOO! Spotting the stranger, one of the giant wolves let out a roar. In an instant, killing intent flooded the forest. The giant wolves rose to their feet, their bodies as large as calves, their cold, spectral green eyes glinting with greed and cruelty.
'A wolf pack?' Qin Feng's expression changed abruptly. The hungry wolves of these mountains were the most terrifying; each one was starving and incredibly ferocious.
A single hungry wolf was no threat, but when faced with a pack, even a fierce tiger, the king of the jungle, would be forced to flee.
AWOOO! Before Qin Feng could dwell on it, the alpha wolf, driven by hunger, let out an insistent howl. A chorus of howls immediately echoed through the mountain forest. The pack began its hunt.
One starving wolf, little more than skin and bones, shot out ahead of the other giant wolves to lead the charge. As if it had spotted fresh meat and blood, the excited wolf opened its huge, slavering maw and pounced.
"A pack of beasts! Think you can make a snack out of me? I'll shatter your fangs!" Qin Feng clenched his fists. Far from being afraid, he let out a savage grin and charged toward the wolf pack.
"Gale Bone-Forging Fist!" An incredible power erupted from his body, like a rampaging wild bull. His long arm became an iron palm. BANG! He grabbed the first wolf to charge him and swatted it away with a single slap, sending it crashing onto the rocks in a spray of bright red blood.
The scent of blood seemed to further madden the starving wolves. Howls rose and fell throughout the mountain forest as calf-sized figures charged forward in relentless waves, crashing through the undergrowth to kill their prey.
Shadows of wolves swarmed from all directions! The dense killing intent surged toward him like a torrential flood!
Qin Feng laughed wildly. "Good beasts! You really think I'm a pushover!" He unleashed his Gale Bone-Forging Fist with full force. Every punch sent a nearby giant wolf flying.
Twisting his waist, he generated a deep power, striking with both hands and feet. The wolf pack, charging like a torrent, was met with a terrifying flurry of fists. They were sent flying backward like scattered cannonballs, and their mournful whimpers filled the air.
Qin Feng brought the Tiger and Wolf Killing Power of the Martial Arts Second Realm to its absolute peak. His Movement Technique and Stepping Technique flowed with the Clear Wind Divine Rhyme. Each palm and fist, grand and sweeping, carried a profound force, like a fierce wind scattering autumn leaves. The terrifying Qi Force from his strikes was enough to snap tree trunks the width of a bowl.
Giant wolf after giant wolf was sent flying. He was using his Tiger and Wolf Killing Power to its absolute limit!
As he threw punch after punch, his Fist Technique began to evolve. Like All Laws Return to the Root, it completely integrated into his body, becoming his own. He reached the Supreme Realm where the Heart and Will Move Together. Now, even a casual punch surged with a power the giant wolves simply couldn't match.
A single bare-handed palm strike could kill a calf-sized hungry wolf!
BANG! BANG! BANG! A bloody storm swept through the forest. Like a humanoid Fierce Beast, he charged against the tide into the wolf pack, destroying everything in his path. A savage aura surrounded him, making him seem like a peerless Fierce God.
The hungry wolves were vicious and cruel, but he was even more ferocious and domineering.
He single-handedly scattered the terrifying wolf pack, utterly routing them. Gradually, the giant wolves became fearful and began to flee. After a shrill, resentful howl from the Wolf King, all the remaining wolves broke and fled, leaving behind the corpses of nearly a hundred of their kind as they escaped back into the forest.
HUFF! HUFF!
Qin Feng's chest heaved violently, like a bellows being pumped. His breathing was heavy but powerful. He was drenched in sweat, and steam radiated from his pores. The excitement in his eyes was almost impossible to hide.
'Exhilarating! Absolutely exhilarating!'
Fighting a wolf pack with the power of the Martial Arts Second Realm, driving back the hungry predators… this kind of exhilarating, unrestrained battle seemed to transport Qin Feng back to those bloody, glorious years of struggle—fighting against man, against the earth, and against the heavens.
The Qi and Blood in his entire body were boiling, roiling from the battle. This process nourished his muscles and bones, making them thicker and tougher. He was not far from the Martial Arts Second Realm Mid Stage.
Sometimes, battle itself is a form of cultivation!
After scattering the wolf pack that blocked his path and crossing a small swamp, Qin Feng saw an old, dilapidated temple in the center of the swamp. The temple was surrounded by crumbling walls and ruins, but one could still glimpse their former glory among the remnants.
'The Six Tripods Ancient Temple!' The moment he saw it, Qin Feng was certain this was the ruin he'd been searching for. The Six Tripods Ancient Temple had one very distinctive feature.
Six Ancient Bronze Tripods!
At the entrance to the ancient temple, arranged in a row, stood six ancient and rust-spotted Ancient Bronze Tripods.
Qin Feng did not approach immediately, because several strange creatures were lying at the temple entrance. They had long snouts, massive, bloody maws full of serrated teeth, and streamlined bodies covered in dense, bronze-colored scales. One look was enough to tell they were incredibly powerful.
Upon seeing these Fierce Beasts, Qin Feng couldn't help but draw in a sharp, cold breath.
'Cyan Rock Crocodiles.' They were the overlords of this swamp. An extremely rare and terrifying Fierce Beast, the kind that even a fierce tiger—the king of the jungle—would keep its distance from. A single one could easily slaughter wolf packs and tigers.
At the temple entrance, there wasn't just one, but three of them!